Ally Cat
by Tabbyluna
Summary: Quigley finally found someone to come out to. But will she be a good ally to her?


The first person Quigley came out to was Scratch. Now a young teenager, the boy had slowly, but surely realised that she was a girl. She was unsure about how her parents would take it. They were proud people, and they would be the type to want their family tree to grow. If she was trans, that meant no more biological children. Yet, the girl wanted someone to hear her and understand her. So, after she was done with school one day, and she spotted Scratch, she walked up to her.

Luckily, Scratch was done with her patrol for the day, so she had quite a bit of time to talk to Quigley. She heard her talk about her worries, her fears, her hopes and dreams for the future, and how she wanted to come out to her parents. "But… I'm worried about what they'll do, you know? I don't want to disappoint them, or ruin their dreams, or anything. I know they have a dream about having Grandkids in the future, and I don't know how they'll feel about me being trans."

Scratch merely nodded and listened to her talk. Quigley appreciated that about her. She had been holding all these thoughts and fears inside her for a while, and it was releasing, almost cathartic to share them with someone else who would listen. She was grateful to Scratch for sitting there, eyes attentive and ears perked up to listen. Scratch was both cis and straight, but Quiglet knew for a fact that she was an empathetic listener. Her actions during her vent were proof enough. Once she was done talking, Scratch pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Now, Quigley, those things you're worried about are very real concerns. But the first person you should think about is you. It's your life first and foremost, and if you'll be unhappy living as a man, then I encourage you to transition." Scratch pet her back, which was an action Quigley found rather comforting.

"Thanks Scratch. But… I still don't know where I should begin! All I've ever heard about transitioning came from neighbours gossiping, and it seems like such a complicated process! Like, I'll need a new name first, and then I'll have to change it on all my records, and then there's the surgery itself, which is what scares me the most? Would my face change a lot? Would I have to cut off-" Scratch cut her off with two fingers on her lips. Then pulled her in for another hug.

"It's alright, dear. Tell you what, why don't you come over to the Academy tomorrow? It's the weekend, isn't it?" She nodded. "Meet me at the library at eleven, I have things I wish to show you."

Quigley nodded, and the two of them parted ways and headed back home.

The next morning, Quigley walked up to the Academy and asked around for directions to the library. A few kind-hearted students offered to take her there, but she declined their offer politely. She soon found her way there, where she saw Scratch pacing around outside the library. Scratch waved at her when she saw her, and told her to head inside with her.

"I had a little help from Hugo. We spent a good chunk of the evening looking for the right books for you. But..." she brought her to an empty table stacked with piles upon piles of books. Quigley allowed her mouth to drop, surprised at the sheer number of books crammed on the table. "We managed to find what I think you need."

The entire table was filled with various different books. There were books about baby names, and entire volumes dedicated to girl names. There were books about transitioning, and how to better pass in public. There were motivational books, books about famous transgender Skylandians, and books that talked about the science behind hormonal therapy and sex change surgery. All spread out, divided into piles, and laid out just for her.

"Wow… Scratch… This is, just, wow…" She gasped. Scratch chuckled and pulled a chair for her.

"Come on, let's start by picking out a name for you. That's what I hear should be step number one."

"You really did all of this for me?" She asked, still astounded at the sheer number of books that stood before her.

"Of course. What are friends for, if not to help you through your toughest moments?" She sat next to her, then passed her a thick book titled '1001 Amazing Girl Names For Your Daughter'. "I'll let you read this, and you can decide on the name you like most for yourself."

Quigley gratefully accepted the book from her, and started to flip through it excitedly. She already had an idea about what she wanted her name to be, as she spent a bit of time thinking about it last night. But now that she had a book in her hands, she wanted to see for herself what sort of names she could give herself.

She searched through the elemental index to find the 'unaligned' segment, and from there she looked at all the meanings of the various names available. She scoured through them all, until her finger landed on the right name for her. "Dawn," she declared. "My name shall be Dawn."

"Sweet," said Scratch. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide on Dawn?"

"Well," said Dawn. "I decided that I want my name to have a nice meaning to it, and since the dawn means that a new day has come, and this would be a new start to my life, I think it's appropriate. Plus, Dawn is just a nice name." She smiled a small smile.

Scratch smiled back, and nodded at her with understanding. "Ah, that's pretty cool. Well, Dawn, I'm glad you found the right name for you. Now you can take home the books you want to read, just be sure to return them in two weeks, alright?"

Dawn nodded, and she got up to sort through the dozens of books laid out on the table for her. Selecting the ones she thought would clarify her doubts the best, and the ones whose stories she found the most interesting. "Thank you Scratch, for doing all this for me."

"Hey, no problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

Dawn smiled at her, and pulled her chosen books up to her chest. "I suppose you're right."


End file.
